If you know much about the Osage you know about Codding Cattle Research and Charles and Don Codding. Last Saturday the remaining brother of a twosome who did something big and dramatic in the Osage passed away. These two brothers took a ranch their father and mother started and brought it to the leading cattle research facility in the United States. But most of all what I remember is they did it with style and character.
Now I cannot say I know all the details or even know the facts but when you grow up around someone you get a perception of who they really are. Don was the numbers guy and big thinker and Charles was the person who always seemed out front creating the image and representing the ranch.
Here is how I remember the ranch: As you drove up to the ranch all you could see were miles and miles of grass lands and in particular "The Tall Grass Prairie" which is what the Osage is known for. Once you got closed to the ranch all you could see was a wind sock blowing in the breeze next to the runway. Yes, they had a runway for airplanes as there always seemed to be folks flying into see the ranch and stay at the magnificent guest house. Just as you passed the runway you began to see what was over the bluff. There was a barn that seemed a mile long where the bulls were kept for testing. In front of that was some hay barns off to the right and if you remember me telling you about moving hay from one barn to the other while losing 20 lbs., well this is where it was at. Then right in front to the left of those two barns were the homes of Don and Charles and their families. As you saw the road from the barns wind up past the houses then up the hill turning left and right you would see the guest house sitting right below the bluff. It was always the first place you came to and I remember that was where Don and Charles would office. It was a grand place with bedrooms overlooking the ranch and a giant fireplace decorated with ranching memorabilia. The floors were pegged oak floors with cattle hides strung around for rugs. It seemed like the most pleasant of places and I loved getting a pop there as they were always cold and refreshing.
Anyway back to Charles as he had a reputation of always carrying a camera and taking thousands of pictures. I don't know how many cameras he had but it seemed like he always had at least two hung around his neck. Charles was at every event that you could think of including the high school events, 4-H events and church events. I suppose the thing that stood out the most to me was that Charles and Helen were servants to everyone and especially their faith in God. They served tirelessly at the Methodist Church in Foraker and in case you did not know it we shared preachers with the Grainola and Shidler Methodist Church as well every Sunday. They seemed to delight in making you comfortable and welcome. Charles always was curious of how you were doing and how was your family. Helen died from cancer many years ago and it was a very pleasant event that he found a wonderful wife in Norma and they have continued to serve their community and their country and our Lord just as Charles had done his entire life.
A few other notable things I remember was Charles was named a member of the US Postal Service Board of Governors and he was always involved in politics. Charles was a very active person but he had one big fault that probably was a result of his charm and patience, HE WAS ALWAYS LATE. Now that was not 100% true because one time Charles was invited to speak somewhere in Tulsa and he invited my dad to go with him. They stopped by the cafe in Pawhuska and got caught up in a few conversations and sure enough dad thought they were going to be late. But when they got there which was technically a little late they found out Charles was one week early. We can only assume he was late the next week.
Well if you measure a man by his kids you would have to say Charles did well. His children (kids) turned out pretty good except for one, Harold. Just kidding, Harold is just like Charles.
Well what do you learn from the Osage?
Now I cannot say I know all the details or even know the facts but when you grow up around someone you get a perception of who they really are. Don was the numbers guy and big thinker and Charles was the person who always seemed out front creating the image and representing the ranch.
Here is how I remember the ranch: As you drove up to the ranch all you could see were miles and miles of grass lands and in particular "The Tall Grass Prairie" which is what the Osage is known for. Once you got closed to the ranch all you could see was a wind sock blowing in the breeze next to the runway. Yes, they had a runway for airplanes as there always seemed to be folks flying into see the ranch and stay at the magnificent guest house. Just as you passed the runway you began to see what was over the bluff. There was a barn that seemed a mile long where the bulls were kept for testing. In front of that was some hay barns off to the right and if you remember me telling you about moving hay from one barn to the other while losing 20 lbs., well this is where it was at. Then right in front to the left of those two barns were the homes of Don and Charles and their families. As you saw the road from the barns wind up past the houses then up the hill turning left and right you would see the guest house sitting right below the bluff. It was always the first place you came to and I remember that was where Don and Charles would office. It was a grand place with bedrooms overlooking the ranch and a giant fireplace decorated with ranching memorabilia. The floors were pegged oak floors with cattle hides strung around for rugs. It seemed like the most pleasant of places and I loved getting a pop there as they were always cold and refreshing.
Anyway back to Charles as he had a reputation of always carrying a camera and taking thousands of pictures. I don't know how many cameras he had but it seemed like he always had at least two hung around his neck. Charles was at every event that you could think of including the high school events, 4-H events and church events. I suppose the thing that stood out the most to me was that Charles and Helen were servants to everyone and especially their faith in God. They served tirelessly at the Methodist Church in Foraker and in case you did not know it we shared preachers with the Grainola and Shidler Methodist Church as well every Sunday. They seemed to delight in making you comfortable and welcome. Charles always was curious of how you were doing and how was your family. Helen died from cancer many years ago and it was a very pleasant event that he found a wonderful wife in Norma and they have continued to serve their community and their country and our Lord just as Charles had done his entire life.
A few other notable things I remember was Charles was named a member of the US Postal Service Board of Governors and he was always involved in politics. Charles was a very active person but he had one big fault that probably was a result of his charm and patience, HE WAS ALWAYS LATE. Now that was not 100% true because one time Charles was invited to speak somewhere in Tulsa and he invited my dad to go with him. They stopped by the cafe in Pawhuska and got caught up in a few conversations and sure enough dad thought they were going to be late. But when they got there which was technically a little late they found out Charles was one week early. We can only assume he was late the next week.
Well if you measure a man by his kids you would have to say Charles did well. His children (kids) turned out pretty good except for one, Harold. Just kidding, Harold is just like Charles.
Well what do you learn from the Osage?
- Wonderful family and friends are forever
- To get character you have to give it away like Charles Codding did
- Always carry your camera - just like Charles
Thanks for your time,
gary@thepioneerman.com
7 comments:
Hi Gary, thanks for the kind words about my dad and Uncle Don. I am sorry to hear that your mother is not in great health. She will certainly be in our prayers. I have enjoyed reading your blogs. You are quite the writer. Thanks again for your wonderful tribute to Dad.
Hi Gary, the last comment was actually from Harold. We had logged into my account, so it read NANCY after it was published. I bet I embarass Harold all the time when I accidentally use his account and vice versa. Anyway, I want to thank you profusely for writing this blog and tribute to Charles. He was a wonderful man. There are not too many of these "old-school" Osage ranchers/gentlemen left. Your kind words meant a great deal to all of us. That blog has been emailed and shared with every one! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Nancy (for real this time!)
Years after the fact, here I am searching the Internet for a place I worked in the Spring/Summer of 1969, Codding Cattle Ranch. I worked with a lovely lady, Eddie, in the office. They had the best cook in the world, Hazel Nail. Man, could she ever make a great meal! The ranch foreman was Dale Kuhrt. I worked directly for Don. But I have the fondest memories of dear Charles & his precious Helen. They had such a way of making everyone feel like the most important person in the room. I'm glad to see Charles, such an honorable man, memorialized in this way. I believe he would have enjoyed your story, as I have. Thank you.
Mary Elizabeth Thoma
Port Saint Lucie, FL
Hi, Gary!
My name is Rhonda (Blubaugh) Stewart. I live in Fort Smith, AR. I was googling the Coddings and found this blog. My family lived in Foraker '69-'72(?). My dad was a cowboy on the Codding ranch at that time. My sister and I just visited the "Drummond" guest house a week ago and I told my sister..., "Hey, this looks like the Codding Ranch". And sure enough, I googled and it was! After looking through the guest house, we drove to Foraker and took pictures in front of the Methodist church where we attended. Helen Codding was a sweet lady that taught us for VBS and she was kind to us at every turn. I still have a Foraker Cookbook that she gave me for Christmas when I was 11. She signed the inside and I cherish and use it to this day! It's kind of battered, but loved. I have pictures of my sister and I in the guest house at a Christmas party and pictures of my dad at the Foraker post office and working cows at the ranch. We lived in a house that was west and south of Foraker. We tried to look at it but the gate was locked. Anyway, I hope you get this. My e-mail is
rhonda@beckomachine.com . Thank you and have a blessed day!
Hi Gary!
It's 2020 and we're in the Covid 19 lock down. I was on the web and found your post. I worked on the Codding Ranch in 1962, the summer before I entered OSU (as in Ohio State). And, I stayed in the Guest House which was as beautiful as you described it! That summer, the sun bouncing off of some pop bottles outside started a fire that caused some major damage to the house. It was a great summer for me and led me to change my major to agricultural economics and thus, change my life. At the time, it was called Codding-Armour as the Coddings had an arrangement with the Armour meat company. Anyway, I've never forgotten my experiences at the Codding Ranch nor our visits to Foraker, Shidler, Ponca City and beyond.
Steve Drake
Fort Myers, Florida
Hey Gary L.(I won't post your middle for privacy reasons) Don't know if you knew this, but I met Charles and Helen the first of many occasions while I was staffer for Wes Watkins, there in Stillwater, during his campaign for Governor in 1994. ZThey often dropped by the Watkins campaign office. In June I was promoted to Wes personal assistant. I often traveled with Wes around the state driving the candidate while he fundraiser. His wife Lou ran the office. It was not uncommon to see Charles and his wife in tow. Funny, but it was usually around lunch, or dinner/supper time. You are right about this great husband/wife team. They were kind and gentle souls, if ever I met one. I was sad to hear of his passing. Love ya brother Gary. Signed Terry Hubbard.
What ever happened to Rick Hill and David McPeatk?
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